“Thanos is the first ransomware family observed that advertises the use of the RIPlace tactic. RIPlace is a Windows file system technique unveiled in a proof of concept (PoC) last year by researchers at Nyotron, which can be used to maliciously alter files and which allows attackers to bypass various anti-ransomware methods.”
“Ransomware gangs are teaming up to extort victims through a shared data leak platform, and the exchange of tactics and intelligence. In November 2019, the Maze Ransomware operators transformed ransomware attacks into data breaches after they released unencrypted data of a victim who refused to pay. Soon after, they launched a dedicated “Maze News” site used to shame their unpaid victims by publicly releasing stolen data.”
“Google is indexing the phone numbers of WhatsApp users that could be abused by threat actors for malicious activities. Even if Google Search only revealed the phone numbers and not the identities of associated users, ill-intentioned attackers could be able to see users’ profile pictures on WhatsApp and performing a reverse-image search the user’s profile picture to gather additional info on the potential victim (i.e. mining social media accounts where the victim use the same profile picture).”
“While it would be nice if cybersecurity could temporarily take a backseat while people and organizations figure out how to adapt to truly new working conditions, the reality is that you can’t do things like rapidly shift to working from home, dramatically increase ecommerce over brick-and-mortar sales, and massively scale the logistics of delivery without considering how all those changes are secured along the way. Cybersecurity is part of the pandemic response, plain and simple.”
“A totally connected world will also be especially susceptible to cyberattacks. Even before the introduction of 5G networks, hackers have breached the control center of a municipal dam system, stopped an Internet-connected car as it travelled down an interstate, and sabotaged home appliances. Ransomware, malware, crypto-jacking, identity theft, and data breaches have become so common that more Americans are afraid of cybercrime than they are of becoming a victim of violent crime.”
